Received: from C.CS.CMU.EDU by K.GP.CS.CMU.EDU; 23 Sep 87 14:27:14 EDT Received: ID ; Wed 23 Sep 87 14:25:01-EDT Date: Wed 23 Sep 87 14:25:00-EDT From: Yumi Subject: back chair To: bovik@K.GP.CS.CMU.EDU Message-ID: <12336959944.31.IWASAKI@C.CS.CMU.EDU> Please put this message in the health file. Date: Mon 21 Sep 87 12:25:27-EDT From: Kulkarni Subject: Back chairs Message-ID: <12336413893.33.DSK@C.CS.CMU.EDU> Yumi, I have 2 back chairs - one at office and one at home. I find them to be good for back and prefer them. But I have heard from someone (not a medical doctor) that they are not good for people with arthritis in the knees as they increase the force exerted at the knee, reducing the force exerted at the heels. Also if you have back pains, I think you can get doctor to recommend it and perhaps try to get it on medical plan. I bought it on real discount from a mail-order company (Hanover) First chair at $27 and second at $22. But the non-discount price of some chairs with additional adjustment of the angle of incline can be as high as $150. Deepak Date: 21 Sep 1987 12:35-EDT From: Douglas.Tomm@SPEECH2.CS.CMU.EDU To: Yumi.Iwasaki@h.gp.cs.cmu.edu Subject: Re: back chair Message-Id: <559240513/doug@SPEECH2.CS.CMU.EDU> In-Reply-To: Yumi.Iwasaki's bboard message of 21-Sep-87 10:54 There's a place in Squirrel Hill called "My Aching Back". It's on Murray Ave past Forward. They sell all sorts of chairs for people with back trouble. Date: Mon, 21 Sep 87 12:53:52 -0400 (EDT) From: bobg+@andrew.cmu.edu (Robert Steven Glickstein) To: Yumi.Iwasaki@CS.CMU.EDU Subject: Re: back chair In-Reply-To: Message from "Yumi.Iwasaki@CS.CMU.EDU" dated "21 Sep 87 10:53:14 EDT" I have a "back chair" which I bought for ~$15 at Dahlkemper's in Monroeville. It is a cheap model; no adjustments for height or angle (of stool or "kneepad") and no wheels. But I have been enjoying this chair for a year. It is very comfortable. I can't say with authority how good it is for your back, but personally I've noticed that my back *never* begins to hurt even after I've been sitting on the chair for a couple of hours or more (this is not the case in conventional chairs). Actually it's my knees that start to hurt, but only after a while, and only because my chair is the cheap kind with insufficient padding. I highly recommend one of these chairs. Buy the more expensive, adjustable and well-padded kind. -Bob Glickstein From: Marc.Ringuette@F.GP.CS.CMU.EDU To: Yumi.Iwasaki@h.gp.cs.cmu.edu Subject: Re: back chair Message-Id: <559242681/mnr@F.GP.CS.CMU.EDU> In-Reply-To: Yumi.Iwasaki's bboard message of 21-Sep-87 10:51 I had one for a while. I think it's more of a novelty item - it's good for a change if you've been sitting in a regular chair for a while, but it's not that great in the long run. They are best for typing, because they result in a very upright posture. I wouldn't buy one again, but I don't feel strongly against them either. Good luck! Marc Date: Monday, 21 September 1987 13:43:22 EDT From: Timothy.Freeman@theory.cs.cmu.edu To: yumi.iwasaki@h.gp.cs.cmu.edu Subject: Funny chair Message-ID: <1987.9.21.17.35.56.Timothy.Freeman@THEORY.CS.CMU.EDU> I bought two once, but I sold them because they made my back hurt. I was just trying them because I thought they looked neat; I didn't have back pain from sitting in normal chairs. If normal chairs make your back hurt, I would suggest trying out one of the peculiar chairs. Maybe our backs are differently shaped. I didn't have any problems selling my unwanted chairs on the market bboard. Date: Mon, 21 Sep 87 14:09:01 EDT From: Karen.York.Kietzke@KY.AVALON.CS.CMU.EDU To: Yumi.Iwasaki@H.GP.CS.CMU.EDU Subject: Re: back chair You should try sitting in one of these chairs before you buy one. Everyone else that I've talked to thinks they're great, but my back doesn't like them. I can't recomend anyone for chairs specifically, but there is a place in Squirrel Hill called "My Aching Back" which sells them. The people there have always been helpful when I've gone there for other things. Karen Date: 21 Sep 1987 14:21-EDT From: Angela.Hickman@ml.ri.cmu.edu To: Yumi.Iwasaki@h.gp.cs.cmu.edu Subject: Re: back chair Message-Id: <559246890/ach@ml.ri.cmu.edu> In-Reply-To: Yumi.Iwasaki's bboard message of 21-Sep-87 10:57 Yumi, I have such a chair and like it a lot. But, I've never really had any lower back trouble. My husband bought mine at a place on Walnut Street in Shadyside. The name of the store has the word "back" in it. Jill just bought one of these chairs, I think. You might send her mail asking where she got it. Hope it helps, Angela Date: 21 Sep 1987 16:19-EDT From: Jos.Schreinemakers@B.GP.CS.CMU.EDU To: Yumi.Iwasaki@h.gp.cs.cmu.edu Subject: Re: back chair Message-Id: <559253992/josf@B.GP.CS.CMU.EDU> In-Reply-To: Yumi.Iwasaki's bboard message of 21-Sep-87 10:55 Yumi, Since you're asking for the kneeling chair, in my experience they don't help. The only thing that helped me in the end was a program to train my muscles to be able to cope with the strain of long hours of terminal work. This way I can cope with the pain that is stemming from damage to my back that developed over the (terminal) years. The chairs that I use enable me to sit upright as much as possible, and to support my lower back. Take care of your back, it's the only one you have! -- Jos Date: 21 Sep 1987 16:25-EDT From: Robert.Conde@sam.cs.cmu.edu To: Yumi.Iwasaki@h.gp.cs.cmu.edu Subject: Re: back chair Message-Id: <559254340/rvconde@sam.cs.cmu.edu> People who spend a lot of time seated usually have problems with their back, but it really isn't the fault of the chair. Stomach muscles slowly atrophy, putting more strain on the bones and muscles of the lower back. Try doing some exercises to strengthen your stomach and back, such as sit-ups or leg raises. Bert Date: Tue 22 Sep 87 10:25:40-EDT From: David.Steier@C.CS.CMU.EDU Subject: Back chairs To: iwasaki@H.GP.CS.CMU.EDU Message-ID: <12336654231.19.STEIER@C.CS.CMU.EDU> Yumi, I have one of these Balans chairs, the adjustable kind. After three or so years, I consider this experiment a failure. I like to shift around and lean back every so often, which these chairs don't let you do. And now there are rumors that someone has done a study on what these really do for your back, and the answer is nothing. The best preventive for back problems is not to sit for longer than a half an hour without getting up, the study says. Given how expensive these things are, at least if you buy the brand name, I'd advise against it. --David Date: Tue, 22 Sep 87 15:38:38 EDT From: Gary.Bickford@H.GP.CS.CMU.EDU To: Yumi.Iwasaki@H.GP.CS.CMU.EDU Subject: back chair Since I messed up my back last spring, I have used a "back chair" exclusively. More than about two hours in a regular chair causes two days of pain. Get one that's adjustable in height. Padding on the knee portion is important (I added two inches of foam). Yours knees will be uncomfortable for two weeks only. Most furniture stores in California carry them, but I don't know about here. I will be bringing one here next month. Try it if you like, about the 25th. regards, gb. Date: Wednesday, 23 Sep 87 13:44:13 EDT From: katz (Irvin Katz) @ mimosa.psy.cmu.edu Subject: weird chairs To: yumi.iwasaki @ cs.cmu.edu I used to use one of those chairs frequently. Although my back always felt fine, my knees would hurt after sitting for more than a few hours. The chair I used was not the highest quality chair of its type, however. Good luck with your search. irv ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Also, there were three people who sent me a message inviting me to try out the ones in their office. They were Victor Milenkovic (Milenkovic@ius2), Thomas Gross (Gross@sam), and Richard Lewis (lewis@b.gp.cs.cmu.edu). Victor likes it very much. I decided to borrow his for a few days to see if it improves my back. His is a wooden, adjustable one with padding. As someone mentioned above, it seems important to have an adjustable one because it took me a while to discover a comfortable height and position for me. Yumi -------